- GILBERT BAYORAN
The Provincial Legal Office (PLO) is looking into the possibility of an “inside job” on the reported 789 sacks of fertilizer, valued at P2.3 million, found missing from the Capitol warehouse in Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City.
The PLO noted that there was no forcible entry, or damage seen in the warehouse.
Provincial Legal Officer, Atty. Alberto Nellas, said that they are now investigating two personnel of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and three security personnel, after receiving the incident report from the OPA and Security and Safety Division April 3.
The discovery was made in October last year after the municipal government of Cauayan tried to withdraw its share of the fertilizer from the Rice Processing Center warehouse in Brgy. Tabunan.
The fertilizer stored at the warehouse was given to the provincial government as grant from the Department of Agriculture for distribution to local government units.
Nellas, however, cannot explain why it was only now that an investigation was conducted since the sacks of fertilizer had been missing for several months already.
He said that a show cause order will soon be issued to the concerned OPA and security personnel, who have been reshuffled, pending the result of the investigation.
Nellas said that the OPA investigation report showed discrepancies, such as the physical count of delivered items, deliveries made during night time, delivery receipts that were issued later than the actual delivery, and damaged seal on the cargos upon arrival at the warehouse, as noted by the watchmen.
The case of the missing sacks of fertilizer was already reported to the Bago City Police Station for investigation./GB
